If you’ve ever wondered why Axel Tuanzebe is so underappreciated despite his talent, you’re not alone—many fans share that sentiment. It’s time to delve into the story of this remarkable Manchester United graduate. Born on November 14th of 1997 in Bunia, DR Congo, Axel is one of three children born to his parents. His early years in the Congo were brief; after just four years, his family relocated to the UK in search of better opportunities.
Rose from School Captain: Axel Tuanzebe’s Rise from DR Congo
Axel’s upbringing in the UK quickly sparked his interest in football. After settling in, his parents enrolled him at St Cuthbert’s RC High School in Rochdale, where he began to thrive both academically and athletically. Axel’s natural talent for sports quickly became evident, and he was soon appointed captain of his school’s Year Seven football team.
This article explores how a young school football captain grew into a promising Manchester United graduate, charting Axel Tuanzebe’s journey from his early days in the Congo to his rise in English football.
Preamble:
In essence, we’re sharing the full journey of Axel Tuanzebe’s life—from his early beginnings to his rise to fame. His biography is a captivating story that beautifully captures his evolution. To give you a taste of what’s to come, imagine Axel’s transformation: from a bright young school captain who arrived in England from DR Congo to a proud graduate of Manchester United’s academy. His journey is a testament to how far he’s come.
Exploring Axel Tuanzebe’s Roots: The Journey of a Congolese-Born Star in English Football.
Axel Tuanzebe Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, Axel Tuanzebe was born on the 14th day of November 1997 to his parents in Bunia, DR Congo. He is one amongst three children born of the union between his father and mother.
After his birth, the young lad and his family stayed in DR Congo for only four years before moving to the UK.
Back then, little Tuanzebe did not get enough time to be acquainted with the culture of his country, which was ravaged by the First and Second Congo Wars.
However, his upbringing in the United Kingdom yielded an excellent result as he quickly picked up an interest in football. Of course, he was good at it from the first moment he delved into the game.
The childhood days of Axel Tuanzebe.
Axel Tuanzebe Family Background:
The Congolese player grew up in an affluent household that could afford its basic needs. No wonder his dad and mum managed to sponsor their move from Africa to Europe.
From Tuanzebe’s earliest days, his parents have often supported his dreams and aspirations. Hence, his choice to delve into football did not raise any objection in his household.
Axel Tuanzebe Family Origin:
No matter how far he may be from home, the prolific defender will never forget his roots. As a matter of fact, his skin colour is visible evidence of his African ancestry.
It is no longer news that Tuanzebe hails from Bunia, the capital city of Ituri Province in DR Congo. However, his hometown has recorded a series of sad events in the past. Just like Lois Openda and Christopher Nkunku, Congolese blood flows through Alex’s veins.
Do you know?… Bunia was the major scene where many killings and fighting happened during the Second Congo War, which started in 1998.
Axel Tuanzebe Education:
Upon his family’s arrival in the UK, they quickly adjusted to the lifestyle of the country. With no delay, Axel’s parents enrolled him to study at St Cuthbert’s RC High School in Rochdale.
While in school, Tuanzebe took part in all kinds of sports. Because of his excellent sportsmanship, he was appointed the captain of his school year seven football team.
You won’t believe it! He led his team into the final of the English National Schools Cup held in 2009 at Stamford Bridge.
Axel Tuanzebe Early Career Life:
Enrolling to study in school did not stop the young Congolese from joining a football academy.
Guess what? Tuanzebe joined Manchester United Academy at 8. Of course, he knew that he needed to put on an excellent performance to gain prominence at the club.
Gradually, the young lad improved his football prowess at the Academy. In 2014, he captained the Manchester United youth team to win the Milk Cup.
Afterwards, he won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in May 2015. Tahith Chong (2017/2018) and Alejandro Garnacho later won this individual honour.
Journey to Fame Story:
The Congolese soon rose through the ranks of United’s youth players as he showcased great football prowess.
Hence, he made his professional debut for the English club on the 29th day of January 2017 in a 4-0 FA Cup victory against Wigan Athletic.
Do you know?… Axel Tuanzebe was promoted to Man United’s senior team about four months before the breakthrough of Marcus Rashford in 2016.
In January 2018, Axel Tuanzebe was sent on loan to complete the rest of the season with Aston Villa. However, he sustained a severe injury, which limited his performance for Villa.
Hence, he only made five appearances for Aston Villa at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Axel Tuanzebe Biography – Success Story:
Upon his return to Man United in August 2018, he was loaned back to Aston Villa for the 2018-19 season. Hence, he helped Aston Villa win the EFL championship, which got them promoted to the Premier League in 2019.
Tuanzebe soon made his return to Manchester United and signed a three-year contract with the English club in July 2019.
What’s more? He played a defensive role in the absence of Harry Maguire in United’s 2020-21 opening Champions League game against PSG.
Of course, his ability to stop Kylian Mbappe and Neymar has established him as a prolific defender for Manchester United.
Do you know?… Tuanzebe is the youngest player since Norman Whiteside to captain United during an EFL Cup victory. The rest, as they say, is history.
The moment Axel Tuanzebe won the hearts of United fans.
Personality:
What makes Axel Tuanzebe thick? To begin with, his persona is a blend of the Scorpio zodiac trait. He is very caring and highly sensitive. Also, Tuanzebe has shown a great determination to succeed in his career.
Do you know?… Axel Tuanzebe has a keen interest in boxing and wrestling. In fact, he may have delved into boxing if he had never ventured into football.
Axel Tuanzebe Lifestyle:
Even though Axel is not as wealthy as Michy Batshuayi, he seems to live a luxurious lifestyle. No wonder he purchased an exotic Mercedes Benz (shown below) when he was only seventeen years old.
Of course, we can not deny the fact that he would have purchased other expensive assets. However, he has not leveraged his social media to show off his houses and other exotic cars at the time of writing this Bio.
Axel Tuanzebe Family Life:
Thanks to his close-knit family, the former Man United defender has always been surrounded by love and support, never experiencing loneliness. Hence, we present you a piece of comprehensive information about every member of his family.
About Axel Tuanzebe Father:
First and Foremost, Tuanzebe’s dad may not be a Judo instructor like Youri Tielemans’ father. However, he has shown great interest in sports.
No wonder his father enrolled him at the Man United academy to gain more exposure to football. That being said, we can safely deduce that his dad is one of the bedrocks of his career life.
About Axel Tuanzebe Mother:
The role of his mom in his upbringing can never be overemphasised. As it is customary for African mothers to raise their kids in proper moral ethics, so did Tuanzebe’s mom fulfil her duty. Thanks to her parental affection, Tuanzebe was able to grow into a kind young man.
About Axel Tuanzebe Siblings:
Interestingly, the Congolese player has an elder brother named Dimitri and a sister known as Nadege. Do you know?… The defender’s sister, pictured below, owns her fashion line while his brother plays football.
About Axel Tuanzebe Relatives:
Since he rose to fame, there has been no information about his grandfather and grandmother.
Also, we can’t deduce if he shares a family bond with other Congolese players like Tanguy Ndombele since his relatives are unknown.
Untold Facts:
To round up our Axel Tuanzebe Life Story, here are some untold facts that will help you get complete knowledge of his biography.
He broke the Guinness World Record:
You must be curious to know how talented Tuanzebe is since he broke a Guinness World Record.
The truth is, in July 2018, the Congolese player individually cleared the game of Hungry Hungry Hippos in the shortest duration ever recorded in the world. Fascinating, right? Just know that he is loaded with lots of special abilities.
International Career:
Aside from his football campaigns at various clubs, the Congolese also made a few appearances for England. Surprised? Instead of playing for DR Congo, Tuanzebe chose to join the English U-19, U-20 and U-21 teams in different international tournaments. Well, DR Congo may end up needing his services in the future to come.
FIFA Stats:
From his profile analysis shown below, you can see that Tuanzebe is as defensively inclined as Tosin Adarabioyo and Aaron Wan Bissaka.
Even though he has good stats in other areas of football, the Congolese is much better at handling the ball from the rear.
Like Amad Diallo, his potential shows that there is more to what he has to offer than what we see at the moment.
Tuanzebe thrives best in his composure, sprint speed, short passing, strength, etc.
Endnote:
Lastly, Tuanzebe did not become famous out of the blue. Rather, he makes use of little opportunity to put up a magnificent display. No wonder he was able to impress Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in United’s 2-1 win against PSG in October 2020.
Also, the effort of his parents in relocating them from a war-stricken zone is quite commendable. I am sure Tuanzebe and his siblings are grateful to their father and mother for saving them from the afflictions of war.
Thank you for reading our story on Tuanzebe. Kindly contact us if you find anything that doesn’t seem right in our article. Also, share your opinion about Tuanzebe’s future with Man United in the comment box below.
Aside from Tuanzebe’s Bio, we have other related stories for your reading pleasure. The childhood stories of Habib Diallo, Mohamed Elneny and Cheick Doucoure will interest you.
